


The twelve angsts of Christmas

by poeticeclipse



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst with Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21658129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poeticeclipse/pseuds/poeticeclipse
Summary: One shots/drabbles
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

"Dwight, knock it off!" Jim groans burying his face in his arms.

His headache from earlier growing to migraine proportions making him feel nauseous, and the nausea makes him anxious because the only thing worse than getting sick, is getting sick at work. 

Dwight ignores him, continuing to beat his pencil against the desk.

"It helps me think."  
Jim muffles another groan. He would just get up, go to the breakroom for a breather, but Pam and Roy are wedding planning in there and that only makes his stomach is churn more so he's not going anywhere. He takes a deep breath, sweating.

"Where are you going, temp?" Dwight, loudly, calls out.

Ryan pauses in pulling his jacket down. "Oh, you didn't notice Oscar take off?"

"No. ...continue."  
"Well, after he shot out of here so fast claiming to be sick Michael thought maybe I should tail him to make sure he's not just playing hooky."

"What? Why would he ask you? He knows I'm a way better investigator than you!

"Well... I guess he wouldn't mind if you-

He's pushing past him and out the door before the sentence is even finished.

Ryan rolls his eyes and hangs his coat back up.

"I thought Oscar was in the bathroom?" Jim mutters.

"Oh, is he?" He asks nonchalant, brushing past.

Jim grins into his arms. sometimes Howard was alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cranking the dial

He wakes with a groan, the bed feeling a lot colder since Jan left him. Not even the crackling sound of bacon can cheer him.  
He slides from bed, minding his feet around the Foreman grill and slowly trudges to the bathroom. 

Splashing cool water on his face he fakes a grin in the mirror, does his best Chris Rock impression, but its hollow, he sighs and sits on the closed toilet lid, face in hands.  
He doesn't really want to go in today. where he'll see Jim and Pam flirt, Ryan and Kelly argue before coming back together to "discreetly" make out, he doesn't want to be reminded of Stanley and his wife; Phyllis and her school girl blush over Bob Vance, good grief even Toby had had someone to promise to spend forever with him! ...Granted, he screwed it up. What was so wrong with him that no one could love him? he wondered.

He startles as the smoke alarm goes off. Should have unplugged the grill he realizes. He sighs again, standing. He knows in the end he'll go in, smile, try to persuade everyone to go for drinks, Ryan will say he's busy, Jim will say maybe another night, only Meredith will consider, if he promises to pay for all her drinks and really who could afford that? 

And so he'll return home alone, sleep in a cold bed, and try not to dream of Jan.


	3. Chapter 3

Jim's on the phone with Karen.

And it's fine.  
Really, it's fine.   
She chose Roy and she doesn't regret that?   
No.  
She doesn't.   
It... it, just stings sometimes.

When she sees him laughing at something Karen's said, or when he wears his good tie because he plans to see her later. she never realized just how it would feel to have to share her best friend like this. She's not jealous. She doesn't have regrets.

It just stings sometimes...


	4. Chapter 4

Kelly stares at the ceiling trying to figure out what it is that woke her. Her foot slides across the bed, the other side empty.  
She's not surprised. Ryan's usually gone before she wakes.  
She hears a noise and slides from the bed wandering down the hall to the bathroom. She's surprised to find that Ryan's still there, sitting on the floor by the toilet looking pathetic.

"Ryan?"  
"I'm gonna throw up!" He says breathlessly, hands shaking.

"It's okay," she says gently, crouching in front of him.

"No it's not!" He shrieks.

"Calm down!" She snaps.  
"What is it you're afraid of, huh?"

He swallows, not looking at her.

"Choking?"

He takes a deep breath through his nose, squeezing his eyes shut and hugging his knees, after a minute he squints up at her "I... I overdosed one time," he whispers in shame. She's shocked. He's never open with her, never vulnerable.

"That's when you developed a phobia?" She asks quietly, sitting beside him.

He nods wincing. "I thought I'd die on my own bile. Do you know how pathetic that feels?!" He asks sniffing.

"You're not pathetic Ryan. You've had some hard times... Really hard times, but you're still here fighting to get back and that's something, that's everything. You're gonna be okay honey, you're, like, really stubborn, she grins squeezing his shoulder.

"Thanks," he whispers. Clearly uncomfortable.

"Sure," she says, stroking his neck.

He seizes up, gripping her wrist fiercely, gasping.

"It's alright, " she says looking him in the eye. "I won't let you choke."

And the funny thing is? ...he believes her.


	5. Chapter 5

I watch her move across the room So stiff. So sure. She doesn't look at me. I sigh and give the bobble head on my desk a flick. Her anger won't burn forever, but it scorches while it does.


	6. Chapter 6

Jan leans against her car lighting a cigarette.   
Two and a half hours for this.  
Left work early, good grief she practically jumped at the snap of a finger!  
For Michael? Michael of all people!  
Sure he can surprise her at times... even be almost endearing.   
What was she thinking.   
Running down here after he asked, and what does she get? Carol. Carol is what she gets.   
Pretty, stupid, Carol.   
She grinds the cigarette beneath her heel and takes a deep breath. And another, looking up at the clear night sky. She didn't cry at the ending of her marriage and she's certainly not going to cry over Michael. Or Carol. Carol with perfectly blonde hair, two adorable children and bustling real estate career.   
A professional beauty hanging on Michael's arm. But, even more enviable than that, she's like a symbol of everything Jan herself has failed to achieve.   
Namely: a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst! If you have any prompts for this fic or something you'd like to see leave a comment;)


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